HARRY’S HAUNTED HOUSE

By: Joyce Smith Williams

In Harry’s town, there was a spooky old house. Harry said it was haunted. He

told his friends of all the dangers that lurked inside-stories that got people all scared and

goose-pimply. Not one of the boys would go near the house.

But was Harry afraid? NO, NOT ONE BIT!

Harry decided to show everyone just how brave he was. At dusk one evening

Harry went to the old house. His friends hid behind a tree. Slowly, Harry climbed the

steps to the front porch. Before he could rap, the knocker knocked. Then all by itself, the

door opened. Inside the great hallway, Harry heard a clock tick-tock.

What a noisy house! The door knocked. The clock tick-tocked.

Was Harry afraid? NO, NOT ONE BIT!

Harry walked into the house. The door slammed. Outside, the shutters bammed.

What a noisy house! The door knocked. The clock tick-tocked. The door

slammed. The shutters bammed.

Was Harry afraid? NO, NOT ONE BIT!

Harry started up the stairs. The stairs creaked. A mouse squeaked.

What a noisy house! The door knocked. The clock tick-tocked. The door

slammed. The shutters bammed. The stairs creaked. The mouse squeaked.

Was Harry afraid? NO, NOT ONE BIT!

At the top of the stairs, Harry heard a snake rattle. From the drawing room, a bat

skedaddled.

What a noisy house! The door knocked. The clock tick-tocked. The door

slammed. The shutters bammed. The stairs creaked. The mouse squeaked. The

snake rattled. The bat skedaddled.

Was Harry afraid? NO, NOT ONE BIT!

Down the hallway, Harry was sure he heard a ghost howl. As he opened the

library door, a cat meowed.

What a noisy house! The door knocked. The clock tick-tocked. The door

slammed. The shutters bammed. The stairs creaked. The mouse squeaked. The

snake rattled. The bat skedaddled. The ghost howled. The cat meowed.

Was Harry Afraid? NO, NOT ONE BIT!

Inside the library sat Harry’s great-aunt Mathilda all dressed in black. Beside her

on a table were two glasses of milk and six chocolate-chip cookies. “You’re late again,

Harold, dear,” she said. “Come in and sit down.”

After a few minutes the front door opened. Harry bounced down the steps of the

spooky old house. His friends rushed out of the shadows. “What happened in there?”

his friends asked. “What did you find?”

“Well,” said Harry, in a voice just above a whisper.

“It was a noisy house! The door knocked. The clock ticked-tocked. The door

slammed. The shutters bammed. The stairs creaked. The mouse squeaked. The

snake rattled. The bat skedaddled. The ghost howled. The cat meowed. And

upstairs in the library was a wrinkled old witch”

“Harry, weren’t you afraid?”

Harry chuckled. “NO, NOT ONE BIT!”

THE END